Traffic signal



JulyS, 1930. P. P. HORN! TRAFFIC SIGNAL Filed March 21, 192'? 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 July 8, 1930. P. P. HORN] 1,770,272

TRAFFIC SIGNAL Filed March 21, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 V INVENTOR T aie eaJuiys, 9so e j I g M 2 Uniran israras PATENIQFFICE1 v I 7 PAUL r. rionivIQor' NEWAE-Kgivnvv Jnnsnj l l V TRAFFIC SIGNAL I Application filed March 21, 192?. SerialNo." 177,125.

This invention relates'to devices to be used it being understood that the various elements H i I for giving proper suspension to trafiic signal have lenses of difi'erent colors to give the lanterns when such lanterns are to be hung proper significance to control thetrafiic. In over highways. When, as is usuallythe case, the instance shown, where there are four the signal lights are carriedin a series of superposed lantern elements, one element'will f superposed lantern elements, the lantern give the red and green rays for traffic in one hung as itis from the top, becomes subject direction, another element giving at-the same to wind pressure so that the lantern has a time green and red rays. .A thirdgelement swinging motion, seriously impairing its use will be used for amber lights on all sides to fullness and durability. The rays of light indicate thatinterim between the two periods issuing from such signal lanterns, are inof traflic. 1 The fourth element will have all tended to be concentrated through suitable red lights to indicate entire stoppage of traflenses into beams of light that may be difie, as for examplewhen traflic must be held rected along'and preferably down upon a still for fire service. The lantern is suspendroadway. auch directing of the light beams ed from cross wires 3 and which may be necessarily calls for rigidity of lantern both either arranged in a horizontal plane, as

as regards swinging and turning which orshown in Figure 1, or in a vertical plane as dinary suspensions have notgiven. shown n F1gures'2 and 3. In either case, The present invention comprises means they are bridged by a cross member 5 Whlch 2,0 for suspending such lanterns combined with is clamped at both ends to the wires. The

means for bracing the lantern so that the suspension wiresand the crossmember' thus beams of light projecting therefrom will form a frame from which the lantern may bear a fixed relation to the roadway. not only .be suspended but also braced. In

The invention comprises further details Figure 1, the suspension is shown by the loan.-

25 of construction hereinbelow described and tern being fastened at its upper end as shown claimed. at 6 in the mid length of the cross member. An embodiment of the invention is illus- Braces or guys? attached securely to thecross trated in the accompanying drawings, in wires at 8 have their lower ends secured. to which the base of the lantern or, as is shown in 30 Figure 1 is a perspective view of a signal Figure 1, to the ends of a lower brace 9thatf lantern suspended according to my invention. is clampedto the lower endofthe lantern. In Figure 2 1s a side elevation ofa modified F gure 2, a similar construction is used for form of suspension. suspension wires arranged in a vertical plane. Figure 3 is anend elevation of a suspen- In this case, however, the bridge piece has 3; 'sion embodying further features. lateral extensions 5' from whichsuitable guy so Figure .4 is a plan view in partial secwires or :rods 10 lead to the lower-brace 9, tion, on line 4-4 of Figure which may be in the form shown in Figure 4,

Referring to the drawings, a signal lanwith four arms. As shown in Figure2; wires tern is shown at 1 as composed of four super- 11 bracing the lantern from vibration in line 40 posed lantern elements, each element having with the suspension wires may be secured to S5 7 concentrating lenses 2 on each of its four the cross wires at their upper ends and to the sides, the particular lantern shown being brace 9 or the base of, the lantern at their adapted to besuspended over a junction of lower ends. In Figure 3 is shown a modifitwo streets so as to throw beams of light cation in which the lantern is hung in a posi- 45 along the streets to operate as traffic signals, tion' considerably below-the cross Su pension so wires 3 and 1, there being introduced intermediate guy wires 12 to support a lower framework in a rigid manner, the lower framework itself being composed of cross members 18. The lantern may be braced by wires or bars 18 extending from the suspen sion members to a point sufiiciently below the top of the lantern to give the required stability. The object of this construction is to enable the lantern to be suspended, for example, adjacent to trolley or other wires 14 and yet be held sufliciently rigid to not only preserve the alignment and orientation of the beams of light, but also to prevent the lantern from swinging against the trolley lines, which has heretofore been known to cause considerable damage. To further safeguard against damage from short circuits in case trolley wires should come in contact with the lantern, the

lantern and its frame may be insulated from the cross wires, as shown at 15, by insulating material interposed between the suspension wires and the cross beam or the insulation may be interposed between the cross wires and their end supports. The end supports are shown in Figure 1 as constituted by a cross brace 16 properly clamped on a post 17 With such an end support as 16 rigidly secured to a post, a spreader is formed for securing the cross wires in a horizontal plane sothatwhenthebridgepiece 5 is added,a horizontal suspension member is formed of the rigid end supports, the middle bridge and the suspension wires that will give a stable mounting from which a lantern may be properly suspended in a vertical position and held therein by suitable guy wires from the lantern to the supporting member. Of

course, the post itself may be used as a.

spreader and the cross wires placed vertically as shown in Figures 2 and 3 but in this case it becomes necessary to have the bridge member 5 provided withhorizontal extension 5 so that in effect the same result is accomplished as in Figure 1, namely a cross member bet-ween two poles of some lateral stability with a bridge member clamped to the cross member and having horizontal spread. In both cases the guy wires 7, 11, 12 and 18 reach from the lantern to the cross member and hold the lantern in its vertical position solely by virtue of the stability of the cross member as a framework. It is important to have the lantern pivotally attached as shown at 6 so that it may be allowed to assume a vertical position by gravity before the guy wires are attached.

I claim:

1; The combination comprising two suspension wires having their ends rigidly held by end spreaders a fixed distance apart, a rigid bridging member between the wires forming with the wires and the rigid end Spreaders a stable supporting means, said bridging member having a horizontal extenlantern.

PAUL P. HORNI. 

